Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 106

Handspring's Loss - And BOOOO to Their Customer "Support"

I ordered a Visorphone last week for a presentation to my company. We're looking at purchasing a large number of new "communicator" style phones for all us "big wheels" and everyone was ready to jump onto the Kyocera-Verizon bandwagon when I mentioned that color might be nice. Raised eyebrows around the room and a "show us what you can do."

I ordered a Visorphone for my Prism - if we like it (by "it" I mean color), we're delaying our purchase until the Color Treos come out. Visorphones in stock, a quick online order, and we're in business. 12 hours later I receive word that Voicestream has accepted our credit (geez I hope so!) and the order status changes from "Pending" to "Preparing Order" on the Handspring web page. Seven days later, the order is sill being prepared.

Email to Handspring CS - what's up? ANSWER: We have no idea - once orders go to our warehouse, we can no longer track them. Try phoning CS instead.

Phone call to CS - ME: what's up?
HANDSPRING: We don't know - the order is at the warehouse.
ME: Are they in stock like the web page says?
HANDSPRING: Well, err, no not really - they are on back order.
ME: How long have they been out of stock?
HANDSPRING: A couple of weeks.
ME: You think you might consider changing your availability status on your web page?
HANDSPRING: Well, we don't do that in CS.
ME: You know when they are coming in?
HANDSPRING: Soon, we hope.
ME: OK Cancel my order please.
HANDSPRING: Umm, we can't do that, all we can do is ship when they come in, you refuse the order when it arrives, then we credit your account after we get the item back.

Does anyone else have any questions why Handspring's stock is tanking so bad?

Kupe
Former Handspring Customer

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Them Twin Cities
Posts: 1758

You know, I clicked the subject with a hankering to defend HS, but I don't think I can here.

...FWIW, the B&W treo is excellent, and I would still consider waiting for the color treo on Sprint. Should be better.

__________________
Don't like somebody? Click "Profile" on a post and then click "Ignore "so and so's" posts". Voila!

Registered: Sep 2000
Location:
Posts: 107

Same thing that happened to me when I ordered my VP in October of last year.

I was 'Preparing Order' for about a month and a half, all the while the site said "In Stock".

After many irate emails, I finally receive my VP. Of course, the emails had nothing to do with it, but it came anyway.

A month after I received it, I get another package from HS. Because of my complaints, they sent me (and probably everyone else that complained) a free neoprene Prism/VP case.

While not exactly a solution to their bad customer support, at least they were sorry.

So if you all want a lot of free neoprene cases, I'd keep your order.

__________________
-Richard Powell

"Nice guys may finish last, but you know, the company's much better back here."

Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 106

quote:

---

Originally posted by septimus
...FWIW, the B&W treo is excellent, and I would still consider waiting for the color treo on Sprint. Should be better.

---

No doubt it will be a nice product - but we've made our commitment now - phones due in tomorrow.

quote:

---

Originally posted by raptor
So if you all want a lot of free neoprene cases, I'd keep your order.

---

Heheh - tempting, but probably won't sway the bosses!

Instead, I got the following reply from CS in this morning's email:

quote:

---

From Handspring
"Thank you for sending your comment to Handspring regarding product availability information and service carriers. We take customer concerns seriously and appreciate the time you have spent sending us your email. We hope you will think of Handspring in the future to fulfill your needs."

---

Translation: "Send out another form email to another dissatisfied (former) customer. Good thing this is email or we'd go broke sending all these out using regular post."

Kupe